LOUDONVILLE, NY – A new era of Siena Swimming & Diving officially gets underway Saturday, Oct. 3, as the Saints open the 2026-27 season against Metro Conference foe Iona at noon at NJIT in Newark, NJ.
 
Saturday's neutral-site matchup marks the fourth consecutive season in which Siena and Iona have opened their respective campaigns against one another. 
 
The Saints finished the 2025-26 season with a 5-8 overall record and a 3-3 mark in conference competition. Siena placed ninth at the MAAC Championships and added a third-place finish at the ECAC Winter Championships.
 
Among the key returners is Hope Ivanovich, a former MAAC champion in both the 100 and 200 butterfly. Ivanovich owns Siena's school records in both events, posting times of 54.49 in the 100 fly and 2:01.80 in the 200 fly.
 
GayLynn Kirn also returns for the Saints after establishing herself as the program's record holder in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:52.74.
 
Sophomore Clara Samko enters her second collegiate season after making an immediate impact as a freshman. Samko earned an All-MAAC finish at last year's conference championships, placing sixth in the 50 freestyle with a time of 23.75.
 
Siena also returns a deep group of swimmers who rank among the program's top 10 performers in their respective events.
 
Gabrielle Rentosa ranks ninth in the 50 freestyle (24.41) and third in the 100 backstroke (58.00), while Camryn Raines ranks fifth in the 100 freestyle (52.40). Mea Amedio enters the season ranked ninth in the 100 freestyle (52.76) and seventh in the 200 individual medley (2:10.07).
 
Natalie Blume owns the program's 10th-fastest time in the 1650 freestyle (17:56.00), while Carsyn Ide ranks fifth in the 100 backstroke (58.31), third in the 200 backstroke (2:06.16) and ninth in the 200 individual medley (2:10.47).
 
Abby Clayton ranks fourth in the 200 backstroke (2:07.55) and third in the 200 individual medley (2:09.27), while Skylar Ricard ranks eighth in the 200 butterfly (2:09.70).
 
In the breaststroke and individual medley events, Julia Mihok ranks eighth in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.50), seventh in the 200 breaststroke (2:25.37) and 10th in the 400 individual medley (4:42.45). Julia Filiault is 10th in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.62), while Alice Scalmani ranks ninth in the 400 individual medley (4:41.59).
 
The Saints will also have a familiar group on the diving boards, with Claire Donlon, Sydney Murray and Bette Sherr-Garcia returning to the lineup. Siena welcomes freshman Molly Murphy to the group after the newcomer earned All-Central New York honors in each of her three high school diving seasons and placed 14th at the New York State Diving Championships as a senior.
 
Across the pool deck Saturday, Iona enters the season following an 8-2 campaign in 2025-26, including a 5-1 record in conference competition. The Gaels placed fifth at the MAAC Championships and second at the ECAC Winter Championships.
 
Iona is led by 50th-year head coach Nick Cavataro, who enters his 45th season coaching the women's program.
 
Saturday's matchup will be the 10th all-time meeting between Siena and Iona. The Gaels hold a 5-4 advantage in the series and have won two of the previous three meetings.